U.S. Homebuilder Confidence Unexpectedly Slumps To Three-Year Low In December

[Yosemito]

Source: Nasdaq

After reporting a sharp pullback in U.S. homebuilder confidence in the previous month, the National Association of Home Builders released a report on Monday unexpectedly showing a continued deterioration in confidence in the month of December.

The report said the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index dropped to 56 in December after tumbling to 60 in November. Economists had expected the index to inch up to 61.
With the unexpected monthly decrease, the housing market index tumbled to its lowest level since hitting 54 in May of 2015.

"The fact that builder confidence dropped significantly in areas of the country with high home prices shows how the growing housing affordability crisis is hurting the market," said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz.

He added, "This housing slowdown is an early indicator of economic softening, and it is important that builders manage supply-side costs to keep home prices competitive for buyers at different price points."


Read more: https://www.nasdaq.com/article/us-homebuilder-confidence-unexpectedly-slumps-to-threeyear-low-in-december-20181217-00662

[beachbum bob]

1. nothing unexpected as the instabilty is being echoed thru out our economic sysem

I find it "unexpected" that any expert would find it "unexpected"

[TexasBushwhacker]

2. Maybe if home builders were willing to build greater numbers of AFFORDABLE homes

I understand that builders want to maximize profits, but building spec McMansions that sit vacant for months because they're overpriced seems idiotic.

Yes, interest rates are still relatively low, but most people still aren't going to buy a house that's overpriced because they don't want to end up underwater on their mortgage. That can happen easily on a new house with a 30 year mortgage.

[watoos]

3. interest rates are supposed to go up,

people better hurry up and build.

[TexasBushwhacker]

4. And then the shit will really hit the fan

Rising interest rates put people in panic mode, thinking if they don't buy now, they'll never be able to. That makes them vulnerable to paying for homes that are overpriced.

I went through one of those times in the early 80s. Interest rates were up to 14% fixed! A friend bought a tiny, 2 bedroom patio home for $50K in 1982 on an ARM. I thought it was nice (we were both teachers) but overpriced.

Fast forward 4 years. His neighborhood is covered with foreclosure signs, including his. When folks ARMS came due for refinancing, their homes were worth 20 to 30% less than they what they owed. About half of them walked away from their mortgages. I found a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home in the same neighborhood for $37.5K, $20K (35%) less than it sold for new just 3 years earlier.

People who aren't old enough to have gone through that housing crisis, or the one in 2008, might be vulnerable to a bad deal again, but not me. It took 12 years for that little house to get back up to what it originally sold for. TWELVE YEARS. I'm a renter right now. I would like to buy again, but when the median priced home costs twice as much as the median income family can afford, something's going to give eventually. It has to and it will.

[SunSeeker]

5. A friend is having a tough time selling his house in Southern California.

He's already lowered the price once. The real estate agent says the real estate market has cooled off. Bad sign for things to come in the economy. Shades of 2006-2007.